A fresh food distributor is backing an embattled Bacchus Marsh grower at the centre of a recent salmonella outbreak.
There are 144 cases of salmonella poisoning presently linked to contaminations of a range of pre-packaged salad products produced by Tripod Farmers.
Nine of the 10 confirmed cases and 99 of the 134 probable cases are in Victoria.
Tripodi Brothers Produce and Haulage managing director Gino Tripodi posted on Facebook a request that people rally and support Tripod Farmers.
Mr Tripodi’s post was titled: “I am putting support where my mouth is”, with a photo of him holding a cos lettuce from a Bacchus Marsh farm between his teeth.
He said his connection to Tripod Farmers was business-related despite the similarity in their names.
“We are proud to show our support to Tripod Farmers, as this family has been of great support to my family and the families of the hundred-plus employees that they employ, not just in Bacchus Marsh but other rural regions of Victoria,” Mr Tipodi’s post said.
“They are not only role-model farmers, but a role-model family that proudly support the local communities that they are a part of.”
His post has attracted more than 7000 likes and been shared nearly 4000 times in a week.
“I have survived many years of consuming their products; millions of others, including yourselves have enjoyed their fresh salads too,” Mr Tipodi wrote.
“At the end of the day, if they aren’t here to feed us, we could end up importing salads, and who knows what we’ll get. Thank your farmer for your beautiful meal.”
He told Star Weekly: “[Tripod Farmers] are such warm, beautiful people and everything I put in that post is based on my dealings with them. You don’t win Farmers of the Year awards twice for nothing. You’ve got to earn it.
“We go there quite often, and they’ve got designated areas for everything and their farm is so well organised.
“To hear of the possible salmonella outbreak has everyone just bamboozled.
“My objective is to support our farmers, our local farmers, otherwise if we lose them we lose jobs, and [there’s] a rebound affect to other businesses as well as employment,” he said.
Tripod Farmers is still working with health authorities to find the source of the outbreak.
